Following the success of Volume one covering the breakout from the bocage by the British XXX Corps between July 30th and August 15th 1944, this second volume covers for the first time in similar detail, the operations of British VIII Corps during the same period which resulted in the British breakthrough of the German lines.
On July 28th Monty ordered the rapid transfer of both VIII and XXX Corps to the Caumont sector to launch a joint attack in the operation codenamed `Bluecoat'. Caumont l'Evente, Sept Vents, Saint Martin des Besaces, le Beny Bocage, Saint Charles de Percy, Le Tourneur, Montchamps, Chenedolle, Estry, Vire, Vassy... are names which symbolise the ferocious fighting unleashed by the units of VIII Corps to pierce the bocage during the first fifteen days of August 1944. The British losses were very high against the elite tank units of the German Tiger and Jagdpanther who benefited from the terrain, the area of operations being much more undulating and overgrown than that of the bridgehead. The main objectives were a range of hills situated between Le Beny Bocage and Aunay-sur-Odon in the direction of Vire then on to the Vire-Vassy road.
Using numerous and mostly previously unpublished photos, maps and unedited accounts taken from unit journals, the author, the curator of the Musee de la bataille de Tilly sur Seulles, gives a blow-by-blow account of the fighting in the bocage.
